Curtain holding and releasing device



March 25, 1924. I n 1,488,367

W. E. TIPPETT ET AL CURTAIN HOLDING AND RELEASING DEVICE 2 W. 'EfF-iputt, mmvr ms J. with,

y I v ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

tries.

WILLIAIII E. TIPPETI, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND JERRY '1.

SMITH, OF IBE'IHESDA, MARYLAND.

CURTAIN HOLDING AND RELEASING DEVICE.

Application filed December 22, 1923. Serial No. 682,226;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, VVILLIAM E. TIPPETT andJERRY T. SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing at Washington,District of Columbia, and Bethesda, in the county of Montgomery andState of Maryland, respectively, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Curtain Holding and Releasing Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a curtain holding and releasing device forusein connection with the curtains employed between a pair of opposedvestibules of a pair of coupled railway cars, and is designed primarilyas an improvement upon'the construction of ourtain holding and releasingdevice forming the subject. matter of Letters Patent 1,101,476, grantedto us June 23, 1914, and not only embodying the objects and advantagesas set forth in the Letters Patent aforesaid, but further has for itsobject to provide a device for such purpose, in a manner as hereinafterset forth, with means to provide for the automatic releasing of thecurtains from a vestibule when the pair of cars is uncoupled and one isbeing shifted away from the other, under such conditions preventing anydamage whatsoever to the curtains, and the invention has for its furtherobject to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, the device withmanually operated means for quickly releasing a curtain when occasion sorequires.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a curtain holding and releasing device for thepurpose referred to, including a curtain attaching member and a springcontrolled coupling element for the attaching member andwith thecoupling element set up and so coupled with the attaching member wherebythe latter is released automatically by a pull against the couplingelement whenever tension on the coupling element exceeds a predeterminedpoint. p p

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a curtain holding and releasing device includinga spring controlled coupling element for a curtain attaching member andwith means for increasing or decreasing the tension of the controllingspring for the coupling element.

rable, compact, thoroughly efiicient in its use, readily installed withrespect to the vestibule of a car, and comparatively inexpenslve to setup.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construct-ion, combination and arrangementof ;parts, ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is tobe understood that changes, variations and modifications canbe resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a perspective view,broken away, of a curtain holding and releasing devlce, in accordancewith this invention, showing the adaption thereof in connection with thevestibule of a car.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2+2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the coupling element with the cover platethereof removed, and further illustrating in dotted lines the couplingelement in inoperative positlon.

Figure 4 is a section on line H, Figure 3.

The curtain holding and releasing device is illustrated as applied tothe vestibule of the present type of steel car construction,

and which includes a hollow column or jamb' l, forming one of the duplexwalls 2 of the vestibule. The jamb 1 is utilized for'receiving andsupporting the curtain holding and releasing device and which includes aspring controlled coupling element, a curtain attaching member, meansfor manually releasing thecoupling element, and meansfor in.-

creasing or decreasing the tension of the controlling spring of thecoupling element.

The coupling element consists of a casting 3, which is arranged toextend within and to project outwardly from the jamb 1, and said casting3 is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed laterally extendingflanges 4, secured to the jamb 1, by the hold-fast devices 5. Thecasting 3 is cut away to provide a chamber 6, a pair of guide grooves 7,8, ex-

tending outwardly from the chamber 6, a

' respect to its shank that it will project laterally from onesidethereof, as indicated at 14. The inner side of the head 13 is formedwith a curved pocket 15, whereby that portion of the head 13 whichprojects laterally.

from one side of the shank of the head is somewhat inthe form of a hook.

The shank of the head 13 includes a pair of oppositely spaced arms 16,17 and with the arm 17 of slightly greater width than the arm 16. Thewidth of-the arm 17 is such as to snugly fit the walls of the groove 8,and the width of the arm 16 is such as to snugly fit the walls ofthegroo-ve 7. i

The head 13 is of a thickness materially greater than the thickness ofthe arms 16 and 17, but of such thickness as to be flush with the bottomface of the casting 3 and the upper face of the plate 11. The head 13 isarranged exteriorly of the front of the casting 3 and abuts thereagainstwhen the head is in operative position. The head 13 extends aboveandprojects below the arms 16 and 17. The arms 16 and 17 are flush withthe top of the casting 3, and said arm 17 is r 18- will be flush withthe rear end of. the casting 3. The forward end offthe extension 18,

formed with a rearwardly extending offset bifurcated extension, 18,which is of a width to snugly lit the walls of the guide groove 10, andsaid extension, 18 further rides against one wall of the chamber 6. Theextension 18 is of a length whereby when the coupling he-ad13 abutsagainst the front of the casting 3, the rear end of the extension whenthe head 13 abuts against thecasting 3, isspaced from the forward wallof the chamber 6, see Figure 3, and said forward wall acts as astop to.limit the outward movement of the head 13 by the engagement of theforward end of the extension with the said forward wall of the chamber6.

The inward movement of the shank of the head is arrested: by theengagement of the arm16 against the stop 9.

Arranged within the chamber 6, to one side of the extension 18, is thehub 19 of a crank arm 20, 'which extends: between the furcations of theextension 18 and is pivotally connected with the latter by a verticallydisposed pin 21. The crank arm 20 is employed for shifting the head 13away from the casting 3 or for moving the head 13 to V abuttingengagement with respect to the outer end of the casting 3. V.

The plate 11, as well as the casting 3, is provided with. a curvedpocket-22 of'the same contour as the pocket 15, and which registers withthepocket 15 pockets 1'5 and 22 when registering provide an opening inthe coupling element for the reception of an attaching member to bepresently referred to.

Mounted upon the plate 11 is a vertically disposed tube 23 ofsubstantial length and which is shiftable upon a vertical axis. The tube23 extends to a plate 24, which projects into the jamb 1 and is arrangedin alignment with the platell. has a depending flange 25 at its outerend, which is positioned against the outer face of the jamb 1 and isfurthermore fixedly.

secured to the jamb 1 by the hold-fast devices 26. The tube 23 isconnected to a resilient spindle element capable of having its tensionincreased or diminished and the said spindle element comprises acylindrical member 27, formed with a depending polygonal extension 28,and a cylindrical lug 29.. The member 27 is arranged within the lowerendof the tube 23 and is fixedly secured therewith as at 30, so thatwhen the tube 23.

is shifted, the spindle element will be can ried therewith. Thepolygonal extension 28 extends down through an opening 31, formed in theplate 11 andalso projects into the hub 19 of the arm 20, whereby thelat-i ter is carried withthe spindle element when secured with themember 27 as at 34. The.

rod 33 is of a length to project above the tube 23 and it passesupwardly through the plate 24 and projects a substantial distancethereabove, as at 34-. Mounted onthe upper when the head. 13 abuts ZIHIDSt the 03811110 3 and the said The plate 245 end. 34 of the rod 33,is a ratchet disk 35,

capable of being revolved for the purpose of twisting the rod toincrease the tension thereof when the disk is shifted in a clockwisedirection. The disk 35 is seated on the upper face of the plate 24. Toprovide for the retaining of the disk 35 in its adjusted position, aholding pin 36 is employed, which is positioned between a pair of teethof the disk 35 and removably engage in the plate 24.

Secured to the tube 23, at a point in proximity to but below the plate24, is a collar 37 formed with a pair ofspaced laterally extending lugs38, between which is arranged the reduced upper end 39 of a handle 40.The reduced end 39 is bevelled and pivotally connected to the lugs 38,as at 41.

The handle 40 is employed for shifting the tube 23 against the action ofthe spring rod 33, for the purpose of projecting the head 13 outwardlyto release the curtain attaching member. Under normal conditions thehandle 40 is in the position shown in Figure 1.

The tension of the rod 33 is such that when the handle 40 is released,the head 13 will be automatically shifted inwardly against the outer endof the casting 3.

hen the tube 23 is shifted through the medium of the handle 40, thecrank arm 20 acting on the extension 18 of the arm 17 will shift thearms 16 and 17 outwardly, carrying the head 13 in the same direction sothat the parts will assume the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 3.The shifting outwardly of the head 13 is had against the action of therod 33, and as before stated, when the handle 40 is released, the rod 33will restore the parts to the position shown in full lines in Figure 3.V

The tension of the rod 33, under normal conditions, is sufficient towithstand ordinary strain or pull on the attaching member when it iscoupled up, but when the tension on the attaching member exceeds apredetermined amount, the coupling head 13 will be shifted outwardlywhereby the attaching member will be disconnected from the couplingelement and this automatic release for the attaching member provides forthe disconnection of the curtain when the two cars are uncoupled and oneis being shifted from the other, and as the curtain would beautomatica-lly disconnected, it prevents any damage thereto which wouldbe the case if such automatic release could not be attained.

The curtain attaching member consists of a vertically disposed splittube 42, into which extends one side of the curtain 43. Surrounding theupper, as well as the lower end of the tube 42, is a split clampingcollar and which are indicated at 44 and 45. Each of the collars isformed with a pair of opposed outwardly projecting apertured lugs 46,and between each pair extends the curtain 43. Extending through eachpair of lugs 46, as well as through the curtain 43 is a hold-fast device47 which not only connects the curtain to the lugs 46, but also providesmeans for tightly clamping the collars 44, 45 around the tube 42.

Formed integral with the collar 44 is an arm 48, and formed integralwith the collar .45 is an arm 49. The arms 48, 49 extend in a directionopposite with respect to the di-.

rection of the lugs 46, and the free ends of the arms 48, 49 areconnected together by a vertically disposed cylindrical bar 50. Thecollars 44, 45, flanges 47 arms 48, 49 and bar 50 provide the curtainattaching member element when said member is automatically released,when the tension of the rod 33 is overcome. -The roller 51 also acts asmeans to prevent the wear on the bar 50 which would be present, due tothe up and down movements of the cars during the travel thereof, asordinarily such action will be had directly on the bar 50 and not uponthe roller 51. The flange 52 prevents the lowering of the roller 51relative to the coupling element during the down movement of the bar 50.

The registering pockets 15 and 22 provide what maybe termed apear-shaped opening extending in a direction towards one side of thecasting 3, and such shaped opening facilitates the release of theattaching member when the pull thereon exceeds the tension of the springrod 33.

lVhen the curtain 43 is coupled to the vestibule, the roller 51 extendsdown through the opening formed by the registering pockets 15 and 22 inthe 1 anner as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and with the flange 52 seated onthe coupling head 13 and plate 11.

Under normal conditions the elements of the device are as illustrated infull lines in Figure 3, and when the coupling element is shifted toreleased position against the action of the spring rod 33, eithermanually through the medium of the handle 40 or automatically when thetension of the rod 33 is overcome, the parts will assume the position asshown in dotted lines, Figure 3.

When the handle 40 is dropped, the rod 33.

will cause the parts to automatically assume the position shown in fulllines, Figure 3, and when the attaching member is automaticallydisconnected from the coupling element, the rod 33 will also restore theparts to the. full line position in Figure 3.

It is thought that the many advantages of a curtain holding andreleasing device set up in manner as described and illustrated can bereadily understood, and although the preferredembodiment of theinvention is as,

1. A curtain holding and releasing device v comprising a couplingelement adapted to connect a curtain attaching member with the vestibuleof a car, said element including a shiftable coupling head, acrank armfor shifting said head to open and closed position, and springcontrolled means connected with said arm for normally maintaining it inretracted position, thereby retaining said coupling head in closedposition.

2. A curtain holdingv and releasing device comprising a coupling elementadapted to connect a curtain attaphing member with the vestibule of acar, said element includinga shiftable coupling head, a crank arm forshifting said head to open and closed position, spring controlled meansconnected with said arm for normally maintaining it in.

retracted position, thereby retaining said coupling head inclosedposition, and means for. adjusting the tension of said spring controlledmeans.

3; A curtain holding and releasing device comprising a coupling elementadapted to connect a curtain attachingmember with the vestibule of acar, said element including a shiftable coupling head, a crank arm forshifting said head to open and closed position, spring controlled meansconnected with said arm'for normally maintaining it in retractedposition, thereby retaining said coupling head in closed position, meansfor adjusting the tension of said spring controlled means, and means formaintaining said spring, controlled means in adjusted position. 7

. i. A curtain holding and releasing device for the purposesct forth,comprising a cur-- tam attaching member consisting of a pair of opposedarms connected together at one end by a vertically disposed bar, and aroller of substantial length mounted on said bar and having one of itsends flanged.

5. A curtain. holding and releasing device comprising a coupling elementconsisting of a fixed portion and a movable portion, said movableportion including an extension, and

a spring actuated crank arm pivotally connected to said extension andadapted to hold the movable portion closed against the fixed portion.

6. A curtain holding and releasing device comprising a coup-ling elementconsisting of a fixed portion and a movable portion, saidwith thevestibule of a car, said element comprising a chambered casting, a headarranged exteriorly thereof and normally abutting against the outer endof the casting for detachably connecting the curtain at taching membertherewith, a shank carried by the head and 'shiftably mounted within thechamber of the casting, said shank having a bifurcated extension at theinner endthereof, a crank arm extended between and pivotallyconnected-to the furcations of said extension, and spring controlledmeans connected with said shank for normally holding said head inabutting contact with the outer end of the casting.

' 8. A curtain holding and releasing device comprising a couplingelement for detachably coupling a curtain attaching member with thevestibule of a car, said element comprising' a chambered casting, a headarranged exteriorly thereof and normally abutting against the outer endof the casting for detachably connecting the curtain 'attaching membertherewith, a. shank carried by the head and shiftably mounted within thechamber of the casting, said shank having a bifurcated extension at theinner end thereof, a crank arm extended between and pivotally connectedto the furcations of said extension, spring controlled means connectedwith said shank for normally holding said head in abutting contact withthe outer end of the casting, and means for increasing or decreasing thetension of the spring controlled element of said means.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signa- WILLIAM E. TIPPETT. JERRY T.SMITH.

tures hereto.

